


Black Roses and Chrysanthemums

by GhostTEETH



Series: The Long Way Around the Flower Fields (DDLC) [2]
Category: Doki Doki Literature Club! (Visual Novel)
Genre: Angst, Anxiety, Depression, Eventual Romance, F/F, Feelings Realization, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, Found Family, Heavy Angst, Implied/Referenced Abuse, Implied/Referenced Child Abuse, Implied/Referenced Self-Harm, Loss of Parent(s), Medication, Parent Death, Platonic Kissing, Platonic Relationships, References to Depression, Suicidal Thoughts
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-01-25
Updated: 2021-01-25
Packaged: 2021-03-17 18:15:58
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,348
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28978740
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/GhostTEETH/pseuds/GhostTEETH
Summary: (new version of Bouquets for Beginnings)Yuri and Natsuki have known each other for a few years, and for all those years, they were in the same cycle. Argue and fight, ignore each other, and then pretend absolutely nothing happened. Yuri has resigned herself to this being a cycle that will last forever, but a sudden change in Natsuki brings her to believe the cycle has ended. At first, she's delighted at Natsuki's sudden maturity.But that changes quickly.
Relationships: Monika/Sayori (Doki Doki Literature Club!), Natsuki/Yuri (Doki Doki Literature Club!)
Series: The Long Way Around the Flower Fields (DDLC) [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1448200
Comments: 6
Kudos: 33





	Black Roses and Chrysanthemums

**Author's Note:**

> THE NEW VERSION IS HERE!!! <3 <3  
> I hope you all like it!!!
> 
> Apologies for any confusion regarding Japanese customs, I don't trust myself to write them accurately so I'm writing more of an American way, though I guess that's how it is in game?
> 
> Suggestions are welcome! Also feel free to point out any typos oops-

The rain had been coming down for at _least_ two hours, but in all honesty, Yuri had lost track of time.

Earlier that day, she arrived home from school to find that a book she had ordered had been delivered to her mailbox, and she had jumped into it with barely any hesitation. The sun had been out at that time. And now, it was dark. The thunder rolled gently, the lull of the rain going unnoticed as Yuri had indulged in the new story, but a clock chiming from the kitchen reminded her that she had other things to do.

Yuri sighed as she placed her bookmark into the page. Her mother was most likely not going to get out of bed. Again. Yuri would have to make dinner.

Again.

She headed down the stairs, pausing to look in her mother’s room for a minute to see if she was in bed. Unsurprisingly, she was. Yuri pressed her lips together, frustration bubbling up inside her. With a swift turn on her heel, she headed into the kitchen. Her eyes fell on the clock on the desk. It read 7:43, and she blinked. She’d been reading for nearly four hours, and hadn’t even noticed. _And she still had homework to do._

“Maybe just some rice, nothing too fancy. Something simple. I have to do classwork, so something quick is better than a full meal,” Yuri said to herself as she opened the fridge. “I can chop up some vegetables to throw in with the rice, make some tea for when I do work. As long as I’m in bed by ten, everything will be fine.”

Yuri started the rice cooker and turned on a pan to saute a few vegetables. There had been a few carrots and onions in the fridge she was going to use, and she’d managed to find a bottle of soy sauce in the cabinet. She raised her hands above her head, stretching out her back.

“I’ll have to go grocery shopping later, I can make a list while this cooks.” she mumbled.

Despite her mother’s refusal to leave the house, she was able to maintain a steady income working from the spare room. Plus, Yuri’s uncle was helpful with money. While she didn’t like him as much as she had when she was younger, Yuri was grateful he came around and kept her mother company.

She sighed.

Her father’s death had been hard on her mother, and her uncle had been devastated to lose his brother. It was unfair of her to be so… impatient.

_You had to move on immediately, though._

Yuri slapped her hand, scolding herself. She had to be kind. It was unfair of her to be mean to her mother.

A few minutes passed, and everything was ready to eat. Yuri made a bowl for her mother first.

“Mom? I made dinner.” Yuri said, standing outside the door.

Silence.

“I… I brought you a bowl. I can leave it in the kitchen if you want.”

A blanket shifted. “Thank you... I’ll take it now.”

“Is it alright if I come in?”

“Yes, come in.”

Yuri nudged the door open with her hip, carrying the bowl and chopsticks in. She placed them delicately on her mother’s nightstand. “Do you want me to turn on the light?” she asked softly.

“If it’s not too much trouble.” Her mother shifted and sat up, rubbing her eyes.

Yuri shook her head. “None at all.” 

She went over to the light switch and flicked it on. 

“Thank you, Yuri.”

Yuri nodded and turned to leave, but stopped as her mother called to her.

“Someone brought some flowers for you. I forgot to get their name, but I left them on the dining room table for you. They’re very pretty.”

Yuri’s eyes widened in surprise. Flowers for her? That was very… odd. There must’ve been some mistake, or maybe… a prank? There wasn’t anyone she could think of that would send her flowers, except maybe-

No. Definitely not.

“Thanks, Mom. If you want, I can put a few in a vase for you so you can have some in your room.”

Her mother shook her head. “They’re yours, don’t worry about me.” She smiled and took a bite of her meal. “Oh, this is wonderful, thank you.”

Yuri smiled, happy to see her mother smile.

“There’s probably going to be some leftover, I’ll bring you some when I’m done.”

With another smile, Yuri’s mother waved her on, and Yuri went to her own dinner.

As she went into the dining room, Yuri saw the flowers her mother had mentioned, neatly arranged in a vase on the table. She examined the petals of one carefully with one hand, eating with the other.

Only two of the flowers were recognizable to her. There were yellow roses, which were honestly recognizable to anyone. The other one she recognized was the gladioli flower.

Yuri’s father had owned a flower shop, and always had gladioli flowers, not just because they were his favorite, but also because they represented strength and care. Giving them to someone meant you knew they could overcome anything, that they saw you as strong and capable, and they cared for you. He believed that everyone could overcome whatever pains came to them, and always had some to give to his customers as gifts.

Wiping her eyes, Yuri smiled.

_I miss you, Dad._

A note tied around one of the stems caught her eye, and she untied it, being extra careful to not damage the flowers. As it unfurled, she immediately recognized the handwriting on the note.

It was Natsuki’s.

Yuri closed her eyes, taking a deep breath to steady herself. She and Natsuki had gotten into a nasty argument, not one they hadn’t had before, but one that had escalated fast. Natsuki had been frustrated with Yuri about her writing again and the difficulty she had finding meanings in it. In a moment of anger, Yuri had snapped, telling Natsuki that she knew nothing of beauty and had no right to tell her how to express herself when Natsuki couldn’t even be asked about her family without shutting down.

_“I just… I just wanted to help.” Natsuki sniffled, grabbing her stuff and running out the door._

With shaking hands, Yuri smoothed down the note and read it.

Tears pricked her eyes and she covered her mouth.

_Dear Yuri,_

_I said some stuff that I shouldn’t have. I didn’t mean to say your poetry was bad or anything. I was worried that you were using it to hide your emotions and was hoping that maybe being more, I don’t know, plain, I guess, would maybe help? I like your poetry a lot, it makes me smile, even if I don’t know what it means. Words aren’t my strong suit, obviously. :) I’m more of a doodle person, I guess._ _  
_ _I’ve been trying some new things with my writing, maybe get out of my comfort zone. I’d like to write as well as you, but I want to write like me, you know? <3 I hope that makes sense. _

_I’m sorry I was rude and didn’t think my words through. Not fair of me. :( I hope you like the flowers, though! I saw you doodling some one day so I tried to get ones that matched. Did I get it right?_

_:) Miss you,_

_Natsuki_

At the bottom, she’d doodled herself pressing her hands together, as well as some flowers and a little picture of Yuri.

She’d never seen Natsuki’s drawings before, and they were…

_Incredible._

Yuri sighed, wiping tears from her face again. Natsuki was definitely wrong, though. She was good with words, but she thought too fast. Almost like she was trying to figure out what she herself was saying as she spoke, and then she’d confuse herself.

“I should… apologize to her.” Yuri sniffled, and rolled her shoulder. “Maybe she could… teach me how to write cute, or… how to draw flowers.”

The corners of her mouth tugged upwards. That sounded nice.

That sounded really nice.

**Author's Note:**

> Flowers in the bouquet:  
> \- yellow roses  
> \- gladioli  
> \- hyacinths  
> \- moulin rouge sunflower


End file.
